GAYLORD — Michigan elk hunters could see longer hunting seasons in 2026 and 2027 under draft proposals from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

According to a Nov. 4 news release from the DNR, the proposed changes would extend both elk hunting periods in the northern Lower Peninsula, where the state’s elk population is located.

Hunt Period 1 would run continuously for 30 days from the second Saturday in September through the second Sunday in October, replacing the current three, four-day hunts spread across August and September.

Hunt Period 2 would run from Dec. 1 through Dec. 15, expanding from the current nine-day season held Dec. 13 through Dec. 21.

Combined, the two hunts would total 45 days of harvest time, more than doubling the current 21 days. The proposals do not aff

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